VISAKHAPATNAM: A security guard, who allegedly killed his wife a few months ago, attempted suicide by immolating himself on a busy road in full public glare in Visakhapatnam on Wednesday morning.
Having sustained 60 per cent burns, the guard has been admitted to a city hospital, police said.
The security guard, M Mahalakshmi Naidu (50) was arrested on charges of killing his wife in a fit of rage after a heated argument on October 14 last year before being granted a conditional bail.
"All these days, Naidu was living in fear that his brothers-in-law would kill him to avenge their sister's death. And this fear might have driven him to resort to the extreme step," Pendurthi inspector J Murali said.
At around 10 am on Wednesday, Mahalakshmi Naidu came to a busy road in Pendurthi and doused self with petrol before setting himself on fire.
Police said the entire episode was recorded by CCTV camera. The video footage shows Naidu pouring petrol on his body and setting himself on fire in the middle of the busy road with pedestrians and commuters on vehicles.
"It all happened in just seconds and people present there were in a panic. There was no time for them to react," J Murali said.
On October 22 last year, a middle-aged woman was raped by a drunk driver in full public glare on a footpath on a busy road in Vizag.